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La Salle downs slumping VCU in double OT

Feb 12, 2015 - 4:23 AM Richmond, VA (SportsNetwork.com) - Fueled by Jordan Price's career bests of 34 points and 18 rebounds, La Salle continued 20th-ranked VCU's recent spiral with a 74-69 double-overtime triumph at the Siegel Center.

Price accounted for all 12 of the Explorers' points in the second overtime to help send the injury-plagued Rams to a third loss in four games.

VCU (18-6, 8-3 A-10) got a career night out of JeQuan Lewis, who racked up 26 points, but shot just 30.1 percent and finished a woeful 3-of-23 from 3-point range.

The Rams were playing for a second straight time without leading scorer Treveon Graham due to a sprained ankle, with Lewis now manning point guard with NCAA steals leader Briante Weber done for the season with a torn ACL suffered in a home loss to Richmond on Jan. 31.

Cleon Roberts and Jerrell Wright added 12 points each for La Salle (14-10, 6-5), which recorded its first road win over a ranked opponent since also besting VCU at the Siegel Center in January of 2013.

Price forced extra time by nailing a deep 3-pointer with 28.8 seconds left in regulation that forged a 54-54 tie, then completely took over the second OT. He started the session with another trey and followed with an inside bucket on the ensuing possession, part of a 6-1 run that put the Explorers up 68-63 with 2:38 to go.

After Justin Tillman went 1-of-2 from the line for VCU and the Rams forced a shot-clock violation, Lewis buried a step-back jumper to trim the lead to 68-66 with 1:49 left. The margin was just one when Lewis drew contact while sinking a left-handed layup with 17.4 seconds showing and hitting the bonus attempt to bring the Rams within 70-69.

Price made both tries after being fouled on the other end, though, and La Salle held on when Lewis misfired from long range and Price corralled the rebound.

The Rams missed 13 straight shots during one stretch early in the second half and trailed 48-43 just past the midway stage of the period. VCU proceeded to rally behind a 9-2 tear, highlighted by Lewis's go-ahead triple with 5:38 left to play, to grab a 52-50 advantage.

VCU got in another offensive funk down the stretch, however, failing to score over the final 3:35 of regulation. They still held a 54-51 lead with time winding down, but Roberts got the rebound of his own missed 3-point try and kicked the ball back out to Price, who swished through a 21-footer to knot the score.

The Rams had a chance at the win in the closing seconds, but Melvin Johnson was off the mark from just inside the arc and Jordan Burgess was unable to put in the second-chance attempt.

Neither team was ahead by more than five points all evening long, with the first half ending in a 30-30 deadlock after Lewis buried a mid-range jumper shortly before the buzzer.

An 8-2 surge pulled the Rams in front by a 40-36 count with 17:26 left, but VCU didn't make another basket until Doug Brooks' layup nearly eight minutes later to relinquish the lead.

Price was the standout of the opening period, tallying 14 points and seven rebounds over the initial 20 minutes. Ten of those points came during a 12-4 run that gave the Explorers a 24-20 lead with under six minutes to go in the frame.

Brooks then converted a 3-point play on the following possession to begin a 6-0 flurry for VCU.

Game Notes

VCU finished 22-of-29 from the free throw line. Price made 9-of-10 foul shots for La Salle, but the Explorers were just 12-of-20 as a team ... Johnson scored 13 points despite a 5-of-15 effort from the field ... Price deposited 30 points in La Salle's loss at Massachusetts on Sunday ... The Rams have dropped back-to-back home games after winning 16 straight against Atlantic 10 teams prior to the Richmond loss.